Blog #7: Diffusion of Innovations - Hip Hop

  

    Cassette tapes played a big role in the emergence of rap music in the 1960s. As soon as cassette tapes were released rap music followed after through originating in New York city within the black community. When looking at Rogers Diffusion of Innovations theory the pioneers and early adopters where identified as black emcees who performed in block parties and other events. When rap was initially discussed many people were opposed to it because gangster rap acted as the face for rap, thus drawing eyes away from lyricism. However, in the 1980s this negative view greatly changed due to early majority such as Tupac, Nas, Rakim, Wu Tang, and many more who valued creativity, messages, and cleaver wordplay within their songs. This was known as the golden age of rap due to the cultural influence it had on expanding the genre through addressing social issues and experimenting with  new  instrumentals. This uptake of rap within the mainstream made it reach its tipping point in the 1990s in which it became the most popular genre of music. At this point rap has begun to break away from its initial criticisms due more attention being given to different sections of rap. 

    Fast forward to the 2000s and 2010s rap has evolved and created a identity in American culture. This can be seen through internet memes, dances, social media challenges, etc. For example back in 2014 dances like the dab, whip, and nae nae created a wave in which rap extended to people who're usually outside the hip hop trends. The late majority include rappers like Kendrick Lamar and J Cole who value traditional lyrical rap in their songs. As rap changed through melodic and trap subsects that glorify negativity, they stayed consistent throughout representing hip hop heads who valued the golden age through conscience rap. As of today the laggards of rap dislike it mostly because of the original criticisms of rap thus viewing it as a negative influence. Furthermore, this is understandable due to their being a huge decline in the standards of rap as a whole with more lyrical rappers being pushed underground more mainstream rap has become low effort in comparison.